Oil burning apparatus



Jan. 3, 1956 G. G. SPRATT OIL BURNING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1950 J'YCiZL INVENTOR:

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Jan. 3, 1956 G. G. SPRATT 2,729,284

011. BURNING APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 57 INVENTOR:

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United States PatentO 2,729,284 OIL BURNING APPARATUS George G. Spratt, Clinton, Conn. Application June 29, 1950, Serial No. 171,128 6 Claims. (Cl. 158-91 This invention relates to methods of burning fuel oils, and also to oil burning apparatus.

The chief aim of my invention is to attain higher efficiencies in the burning of fuel oils than possible of attainment with apparatus heretofore devised. This objective, I realize in practice as hereinafter more fully disclosed, by feeding the oil at a predetermined rate into a bed of absorbent material containing an oil crackingagent such as activated alumina, and by maintaining the oil so fed at a definite level somewhat below the top of the bed so that, through heating of the material during combustion and by virtue of its catalytic action, the oil is cracked at the level maintained as aforesaid and the resultant volatile vapors liberated for emission and burning at the top surface of the bed.

Another aim of my invention is to provide simple and reliable oil burning apparatus for heating or other purposes, operative on the principle above outlined.

Other objects and attendant advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in section of an oil burner conveniently embodying my invention in its simplest form and suitable for carrying out my method of oil burning.

Fig. 2 shows the axial section of an oil-consuming orchard heater constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a space heater which operates in accordance with my improved principle of oil burning.

With reference first more particularly to Fig. 1 of these illustrations, the burner there illustrated comprises a pan 5 which, as conventionally indicated, is filled with porous material M which may be any suitable kind containing an oil cracking agent, such for example as activated alumina. Connecting into the pan 5 is a pipe 6 which leads from an oil supply source (not illustrated), and in which is interposed a hand valve 7 whereby the flow can be regulated for maintenance of the oil at a level L somewhat below the top surface of the material M. During operation of the burner, the top surface strata of the material M is heated to a very high temperature as a consequence of its be cracked at the level L and driven up through the upper strata of the material M for emission as a volatile vapor from the top surface of the latter and to feed the flame. In practice, by proper regulation of the supply of the oil, the burning is controlled so that, when activated alumina is employed, a temperature of approximately 550 C. is maintained in the zone between the oil level and the top surface of the material. Under this condition, efiicient cracking and combustion of the oil will take place without carbon formation or deposit at the surface of the material.

in the orchard heater depicted in Fig. 2, the pan 5a is provided with a concentric perforate partition 8 which sets apart a central well 9 from an annular channel containing the absorbent catalytic material M. The oil to an annular hollow 18.

2,729,284 Patented Jan. 3, 1956 be burned is conducted to the well 9 and maintained at the level L by an automatically-operative float controlled valve 7a. Extending outward and upward at an acute angle to the horizontal from the top of the outer wall of the pan 5a all around is a bafile 10; and arranged in concentric relation above the pan is a hollow element 11 which, as will be presently seen, serves as a preheater for the air used to support combustion, the top wall 12 of said element being horizontal and the bottom wall flared upwardly as at 13 substantially in parallelism with the bafile 10 to form with the latter, an annular flue 15 for traverse and escape of the products of combustion. A circular partition 16 corresponding substantially in diameter to, and co-axial with the partition 8 of the pan 5a, sets apart Within the element 11, a central chamber 17 which is open at the bottom, and As shown, the chamber 17 is in communication with the hollow 18 by Way of openings 19 in the partition 16, and said hollow in communication with the exterior by Way of openings 20 in the top wall 12 of the element 11 adjacent its periphery. Disposed in the interval between the well 9 and the bottom of the chamber 17 is a squirrel cage blower fan 21 which is arranged to be driven by an electric motor 22 supported by a bracket 23 from the bottom of the pan 5a with its shaft 24 extending up through a central boss 25 of said pan. By constant rotation of the fan 21, air is drawn through the apertures 20 into the hollow 18 of the preheating element 11. In traversing the chamber 18, the air is raised in temperature before entering the chamber 17 by way of the openings 19, and swirled outward over the pan 5a to support the burning of the combustible vapors emitted through the top surface of the material M, the hot products of combustion passing to the atmosphere after traversing the flue space 15. In practice, the speed or the motor 22 is of course so regulated that the air displaced by the fan 21 is ample to insure complete burning of the volatized fuel, the burning being enhanced as a consequence of the pre-heating of the air used to support combustion. Due to the relatively extensive surfaces of the battle 10 and the element 11, the outside air is through a pipe 6a from the fiue'lS in all directions.

In the space heater illustrated in Fig. 3, the pan 5b is annular, and supplied with oil through a pipe 6b with a regulating valve 7b for maintaining the oil at the level L open center of the pan 5b. Extending axially up through the pre-heating element 11b and supporting the same through radial spider arms 26, is a shaft 24b. As shown, the shaft 24b is rotatively sustained at its lower end in vertically-spaced bearings 27 set into the axial boss 28 induction interval 32. By means of posts 33, the pan element 11b with the air induction interval 32 by way of Adjacent its top, the ele merit 11b is provided with circumferentially-arranged turbine blades 22b which reach into close proximity to the baffle wall 10b. As a consequence of this construction, the element 11b is constantly rotated, by action upon the blades 22b, of the hot products of combustion passing up through the flue 15b. Secured to or formed around the bottom end of the element 11b is asquirrel cage blower fan 21b. Accordingly, during the operation of the apparatus, combustion supportingv air is drawn down through the interval 32, inwardly under the pan 5b, through the open center of the latter and into the hollow of the rotating element 11b for pre-heating, and finally swirled laterally by the fan 21b over the material M to support combustion of the volatile vapor emanating from the oil in saidpan.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an oil burner, an annular trough filled with refractory material, the outer wall of the trough being extended upwardly well above the inner wall; means for feeding oil into the trough to keep the refractory material saturated; a coaxial hollow pre-heater element disposed above the trough and having a surface which is substantially coextensive with and complemental to the upwardly extended wall of the trough, and which, in conjunction with said wall, provides an annular flue for traverse by and escape of combustion gases from the burner; and a coaxial rotating fan horizontally arranged immediately over the inner wall of the trough for drawing air from the exterior through the hollow of the pre-heater element and directing it over the oil saturated material into the flue.

2. An oil burner according to claim 1, wherein the extended portion of the outer wall of the trough is upwardly flared at an acute angle to the horizontal; and wherein the complemental surface of the pre-heater element is correspondingly flared and spaced from the outer wall of the trough to form the annular flue.

3. In an oil burner, an annular trough filled with oil saturated refractory material, the outer wall of the trough being upwardly extended well beyond the inner wall and outwardly flared; means for feeding oil into the trough at a predetermined rate for maintenance at a definite level below the top surface of the oil saturated material; a combined pre-heater and baffle element providing in conjunction with the flared portion of the outer wall of the trough a substantially co-extensive annular combustion space above the trough, said element having an annular hollow circumferentially of an axial chamber which is set apart by a circular wall corresponding in diameter to that of the inner wall of the trough and which is open at' the bottom and closed at the top, the bottom wall of the annular hollow being sloped to correspond to the angle of flare of the extended portion of the outer wall of the trough, and the aforesaid circular wall and the top wall of the annular hollow being provided with air flow parts; and air propelling means in the form of a rotary fan operative in the interval between the latter and the central chamber of the baffle element to cause combustion supporting air to be drawn by way of the ports through the annular hollow of the element into said chamber and to be blown laterally outward over the trough toward the annular flue.

4. An oil burner according to claim 3, wherein the fan is mounted on. a shaft which. extends axially down through the bottom of the oil trough; and wherein the fan shaft is connected to a driving motor beneath the oil trough.

5. In an oil burner, an annular trough filled with porous oil saturated refractory material, the outer wall of the trough being extended vertically well above the inner wall; means for feeding oil into the trough at a predetermined rate for maintenance at a definite level below the top" surface of the oil saturated material; a combined preheater and baffle element in the form of a hollow-closed top open bottomed cylinder, whereof the diameter is substantially equal to that of the inner wall of the trough and the height is substantially equal to that of the extended portion of the outer wall of the trough, providing in conjunction withthe latter wall, an annular combustion chamber over the trough; and a rotary fan operative between the top of the inner wall of the trough and the bottom of the baflie cylinder to draw combustion air upward through an axial openingv of the trough into the hollow of the cylinder for dispersion laterally outward over the trough toward the annular flue.

6 An oil burner according to claim 5, wherein the cylinder is supported above the trough for free rotation about its axis and is provided adjacent its top with a ring of turbine blades so as to be automatically turned by the combustion gases rising within the annular flue; and wherein the fan is of the squirrel cage type and is connected to the bottom of said cylinder,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,707,474 Heath Apr. 2, 1929 1,852,290 Cocklin Apr. 5, 1932 2,038,522 Bock- Apr. 28, 1936 2,227,899 Grubb Jan. 7, 1941 2,371,237 Heard et al Mar. 13, 1945 2,561,934- Mayo July 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 783,170 France Apr. 1, 1935 846,505 France June 12, 1939 

